Spectatorial spectacular

Lord Bassington-Bassington is notoriously bad at keeping up with the pace of the modern world. Not only is he chronically behind the times, he is also often out of sync with the seasons. This leads to posts talking about tweeds in late May - the time of year, even here in the North, where woolen clothes can safely be put into the cupboard for the summer.

So as Fall approaches up here in the North, Lord Bassington-Bassington naturally finds himself obsessing about footwear more appropriate for summer. Well, perhaps one could say that His Lordship is ahead of his time, and already planning next summer's wardrobe.

The co-respondent shoe - Americans call them spectators - is quite a foppish shoe. And as Lord Bassington-Bassington is a rather foppish Hound, it seems inevitable that His Lordship will at one point get a pair of spectators. So here, after some online research, are some of the long-eared one's favourites.

The Gerrard model from Crockett & Jones seems a safe bet, as Lord Bassington-Bassington is very pleased with the Oxford shoes he already has from C & J. But they are perhaps a bit on the dressy side?

Herring Shoes provide excellent shipping service, and Lord Bassington-Bassington has had a great experience buying from them. But buying shoes online is risky for one such as His Lordship, whose paws are starting to suffer from his preference for formal footwear with leather soles. But anyway - the Herring Jekyll is a more sober take on the spectator.

The Jekyll model, naturally, comes in a version called the Hyde as well.

A big issue in considering a spectator is what style blogger Simon Crompton points out, namely that it is a shoe that is hard to get to work with anything. So perhaps something like the Loake Sloane is easier to wear. It certainly feels less formal.

Even more wearable is the Lemmy two-tone shoe from what must be considered Lord Bassington-Bassington's favourite footwear outfitters (yes, His Lordship is aware that this might be a sign of dubious tastes).

Well, the research has been quite inconclusive so far. Which is possibly just as well. For as a thoroughbred Nordic canine, Lord Bassington-Bassington should know that the sort of footwear to be considering now that fall is just around the corner are a pair of rubber boots.